Preparing For The Harvest

Preparing for The Harvest!

Gal. 6:7-10 Msg.

7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest.

*The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds.

*All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds!

*But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.

*At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.

*Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

When we think of harvest what do we imagine? Maybe for most of us here in this rural area - it is fields of corn and beans.

But what does a harvest look like for you?

I wonder what our world would be like if each of us would find somebody to be good to every day.

What would our city be like? What would our work place be like?

What would our schools be like if we made it a point to brighten somebody else’s day?

You know, We all have the opportunity to plant and harvest, its up to each of us to decide what its going to be.

TBS.(the bible says) "Every opportunity we have, we should do good to people" starting with the ones closest to us.

That means we need to be on the lookout. We need to be ready to respond.

We need to have the mindset of, what kind of seed can I plant today.

"Who can I bless today?" "who can I do a favor for?" You can’t just sit back and wait for the need to come to you. You should always be on the look out.

What about the church, do we have that same attitude with God‘s house, what does harvest mean and look like for us as the church?

This morning, lets look at 3 areas of understanding about the harvest you need know, to reap your harvest.

The first area of harvest you need to understand is….

1. You will always reap what you sow

The harvest is the result of what you sow.

When you sow beans, you reap beans. Sow corn, reap corn. Sow tomatoes, you reap tomatoes, Lord willing if the weather permits.

In our text, it says:

*The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds.

*All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds!

*But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

In 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Msg. Paul writes -

6-7. Remember: “A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. ( you get to decide what kind of crop you want to reap)

Everyone needs to make up your own mind what you will give.

God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. (God loves to bless us, and He also loves it when we bless others)

8-11. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything,

more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

*He throws caution to the winds,

giving to the needy in reckless abandon.

*His right-living, right-giving ways

never run out, never wear out.

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you.”

Extravagant; Webster defines it this way:

1. spending too much: characterized by excessive spending

2. beyond what is reasonable: exaggerated

3. flamboyant: profusely or exaggeratedly decorated, decorative, or showy

4. abundant: existing or produced in quantity

That’s how God is with you when bless others!

(“giving to the needy in reckless abandon)

That’s not what the hoard mentality of the world teaches!

*His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.”

Try as you may, You can not out give God!! It will never happen.

“God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything,

more than just ready to do what needs to be done.”

Sow, What kind of harvest do you want?

The question gives new meaning to “you reap what you sow” when God’s involved in it, doesn’t it?

2. The Harvest is a Process

TBS.(the bible says) “Do not grow weary in well doing”

Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up….